Canadiens' Josh Gorges and Brian Gionta talk about the Caps' streak

A few of the Canadiens conceded this morning that they're in awe of what the Capitals have been able to accomplish over the past month. That said, they're itching to put an end to Washington's 14-game winning streak tomorrow at Centre Bell.

But if the Habs are going to be the ones to snap Washington's historic run, they'll have to do it without several key players. The Montreal injured list is a lengthy one. Among the wounded are Mike Cammalleri (knee), Marc-Andre Bergeron (knee), Andrei Kostitsyn (knee), Benoit Pouliot (upper body) and Paul Mara (upper body).

In all, the Habs are expected to be without about 40 percent of their goals.

What wasn't so clear was which goaltender will start in goal for the Canadiens. Coach Jacques Martin declined to say whether he'll tap Carey Price or Jaroslav Halak. Price has played the previous three games (1-1-1) against the Caps this season but Halak has been the better of the two.

Most of the questions from reporters after this morning's practice at Complexe Sportif Bell in suburban Montreal dealt with GM Bob Gainey's unexpected resignation yesterday. But I figured you'd be more interested in what they had to say about the Caps, who can move into a tie for the second longest streak in league history with a win (the 1981-82 Islanders also won 15 in a row).

Josh Gorges's thoughts:

Brian Gionta:

That's it from Brossard, Quebec, which has far, far less snow than Washington at the moment.

Varly's no stranger to being a new goaltender being brought in during a historic winning streak. When he did his rehab start earlier, the Bears were on a winning streak (and they set their franchise record in that department). Usually, Holtby was in goal.

On the Bears, they lost one game to break their winning streak, only to start another winning streak after that.

i don't think adding an aging ex-elite player will improve the team to the 'next level'
fedorov was an improvement when he was pickup (for ted ruth) at the time. most of the players mentioned so far could add experience - but, IMO, not really a whole lot of additional skill. if you want to replace sloan with niedermayer - then you have gained something. i just don't think you can get him for that little. niedermayer for poti or pothier is more of a give and take (skill sets) and most likely not a great increase in overall skills.
i'd rather see the caps look for a chimera type acquisition when shopping for a dman or center.
i also don't see GMGM making any moves where he is asked to give up too much.

There's a little bit of smoke around the idea of Tkachuk coming to the Caps. I haven't watched much Blues this season, but he fits the bill perfectly. He doesn't hit like he used to, I'm sure, but he's a gritty 3rd line checking center, with a scoring touch. Ability to kill penalties and deliver big hits. Vet/leader.

haven't heard much on Tkachuk...sounds like we are shopping for a big(size) center and possibly a bruising Dman...same old, same old. GMGM may stay pat, but I'm not sure if this is a playoff team? Yes, yell at me everyone...we are awesome(regular season), but the playoffs are a whole new game.

That sounds good to me. It would put Semin ahead of Ilya Kovalchuk in the points race. He is currently only 2 points behind Kovy. (5 goals behind but 3 more assists.)

Speaking of Kovalchuk, did you know that he and Steven Stamkos has almost identical stats. Stamkos has one more goal at the moment, they have the same number of assists, Stamkos is 0 and Kovy is plus 1. (Stamkos has spent much less time in the penalty box.)

They already have Flash (#14) number of wins. Now, it's time for Gordon (#15) number of wins.

Or some might argue that the Penguins are the Caps' equivalent of Ming of Mongo.

Posted by: CapsFan75 | February 9, 2010 2:21 PM

@CapsFan75:

Good numerology.

As for Tkachuk, I think he does still have some gas in the tank. I remember way back when I bought NHL2000, my first move in setting up my game was to put Tkachuk and Roenick in Caps sweaters...and then whup @$$ consistently on the Jager/Lemieux Pens.

i have a friend who follows the blues. Thachuk is down to the fourth line with the blues. Does not play a lot of minutes. looks slow and old. So could he be another fedrov type of move for us. One thing i know is that GMGM is very conservative and would probably make a safe move by trading a pick to get a player. Blues do have a lot of centers in the pipelines so lets see. The blues players we would want are jackman on D and Jay Mcclement as the Center to shutdown checking guy

we don't need an overhaul, we a tweak. TK is a positive tweak. I've said it before, I'm against trading away our top 9 + steckel and our top 4 alzner and carlson and varly and neuvy, but if we can get TK for a pick and one of our UFAs I'm down.

I think this is one of the reasons why the olympic games really haven't done what the NHL hoped that it would - a significant amount of people in this country have more loyalty to the players of their NHL team than the flag they play under and could never root the US team because of certain players they hate.

Thus they aren't really in effect that much different from other NHL games. whether you like basketball or not, watching those superstars playing for the Gold was something special. I don't think I'll get that feeling watching Ovie, Semin and Varly win the Gold for Russia

Sharks GM Wilson: We're happy with team, but 'you're always looking' Rumors linking Niclas Wallin to the San Jose Sharks began to surface a few weeks ago. But the fact is, Sharks GM Doug Wilson was after the veteran blueliner way, way, way before that.

"We did a lot of research into Nic," Wilson told ESPN.com Monday. "We tried to get him for the last two years to be honest with you."

There are a lot of mutual friends that speak really highly of him as a teammate and competitor," Wilson added. "Whether it be Arturs Irbe or Bret Hedican, for example. We know about him as a person and as a teammate, and he's always played his best hockey in the playoffs."

maybe the fact that the Caps and the Canes are in the same division made GM Rutherford reluctant to deal him to the Caps but I think he's someone who could have helped them in the playoffs

Is Tkachuk the player we need? Haven't watched him, but I doubt it. Our primary weakness, IMHO, is the PK. Would he add to that? I'm not thinking so. He would definitely add some much-needed toughness, but his primary position is LW. To properly give him his 14 mins/game, you'd really need to cut back Chimera. I don't think that's the answer. I want a guy with Tkachuk toughness but younger, primarily a center and whose primary skill is defensive.

JSchon: Hey, nice prediction, anyone can predict the final score with each goal including assists and exact times, but you didn't also predict the penalties and the ever-important attendance.

I've always liked RJ Umberger. Plays center, got some grit. The Jackets have a few centers and are short on LW.

Umberger is signed two more years with cap hit 3.75. We could take him if we gave back someone whose cap hit would come close to that. And he'd give us a pretty decent checking center whichever line you want to call it.

The story now is that Green is being benched since he was late for practice today.

Since Erskine's already questionable for tomorrow, we're down to 5 available defensemen, unless someone is called up from Hershey. However, there's no way on Earth they can get up from there since I assume that the snowstorm is hitting there as well. (Unless they've already been called up.)

So will Quentin Laing be making his NHL debut on the blue line? Or will someone else switch from forward to the blue line?

I know Laich has played on the blue line during an emergency except that having him there would disrupt the 2nd line.

I'm looking for info about (and preferably video of) a game I went to about 2-3 years ago. It was a Capitals game at Verizon Center. It is memorable because early on everyone on the ice was fighting, goalies included - I'm pretty sure it was Kolzig in net for the Caps. There were more PIM doled out than minutes played (by far). This was before I knew about hockeyfights.com or CapsInsider, so I didn't think to look it up back then. :(

I know this is vague info to go on, but I was hoping someone could jog my memory.

"The story now is that Green is being benched since he was late for practice today."

I'll believe that when I see that, which I hope is not the case. But yeah, I would find it very hard to believe that BB would actually do that, especially not in a winning streak!!! Maybe reduce his ice time, but not flat out bench him. If BB is starting a rotation on D right now, I would hope he decides to rest a guy who did not just come off a three game "rest" last week.

Tom, I think you are hitting the wacky tobaccy again. Fleishmann is probably BB's favorite guy on the team (read his book if you haven't already). Plus, the production of Semin since Flash began to center for him is just another example of the genius of BB. This trade has zero percent chance of happening.

Of course, how do you kick D-men out of the lineup when we have exactly the right number available before today.

Will Oisk have to come back tomorrow before he is ready?

Have they called up Alzner or Carlson? If Bruce were planning to bench Green tomorrow, I hope he made his call to Alzner or Carlson so they could get out of Hershey and into Montreal before the snowstorm.

Okay folks, get ready for some interesting line combinations and defensive pairings tomorrow.

Perhaps back in my college days...yes, I fully participated in my generation (70s). Spent many nights debating the merits of Aristotle vs Jefferson vs Marx.

About one nanosecond after I retire from the defense industry and give up my clearance I will pack that bowl once more (not too tight!) and take a good, hard toke. By God, it will feel almost as good as...well, whatever.

@tominfl: Oops, didn't mean to impugn your purity in the eyes of the defense industry. :^)

I agree that Umberger is a good player, but I don't see him as either better than Flash today or having more upside. I also think that they like the idea of having Semin centered by a guy who can speak some Russian. Semin and Flash obviously have some great chemistry. When a team is going great and has great chemistry you don't make changes like that even if you are convinced (which I am not) that there is a slight upgrade.

On that TSN injury site that CapsFan75 posted I see it lists Steve Ott out 3-4 weeks due to an appendectomy. Wasn't our gang on CI wishing to get Ott in a trade? Looks like he's unavailable until close to or after the trade deadline.

You know, some have knocked Niedermayer, but you can go back and watch Caps vs Ducks a few weeks back. I remember one sequence where Ovi went to check Niedermayer but bounced off. I said, "OK, wow, that guy's still got it for such an old guy."

And then I realized Niedermayer was like 15 years younger than I am and, I can get affadavids if you want, but I can tell you (OK, I can tell the ladies) that I still got it too.

3) Umberger has a high minus rating. Granted, Columbus hasn't been a very good team but he doesn't really sound like a defensive upgrade to Flash

4) Umberger probably has more experience as a center

Balance: making that trade would be questionable.

BTW, can Flash actually speak Russian, in addition to his native Czech? Well, they are both Slavic languages. I'm sure it used to be required for Czechs to learn Russian except Tomas was a little boy when the SU fell.

IF we were to get a guy from the Blues the guy I would want is Jay McClement. He is currently leading forwards in the NHL in PK time per game. I don't know if he is much of a hitter but he seems to be a guy that will help our PK.

Some comparative stats on Umberger vs. Flash. Here's the last two years when Flash is a regular. Keep in mind, Flash plays about 2 mins per game less than RJ, so his per min production is even comparatively better.

whether or not Niedermayer would help the Caps in the playoffs is not even debatable, he may not be what he was a few year ago but he's still better than Sloan, Erskine, Pothier and ShaMo thus would immediately upgrade the defense.

the question is how much would it cost to get him, not would he help...

Don't agree with trading Alzner and a 1st rounder for Selanne and Neidermeyer. Maybe the jury's still out on Alzner but I feel that Alzner and Carlson are both the long term key to upgrading our blue line.

Just got the latest issue of Hockey News today and there's a good article about Ovi vs. Sid. For those who don't subscribe, here's a good section:

Crosby said asking how he feels about Ovechkin is, "like asking me if I'm going to be best friends with five guys on the Flyers. That's probably not going to happen.

"He and I aren't perimeter players. He plays a physical game and I play hard, too. To say we absolutely hate each other, I don't think so, but we're competitive guys and that's kind of the result of everything and how it's been built up."

Ovechkin doesn't hate Crosby either, and he would probably go as hard at Crosby as he would at Malkin or Eric Staal or Mike Richards.

"I respect him as a person," Ovechkin said, "but when I step on the ice, I respect only my teammates."

Flash's stats are way better playing for Caps than if he played for CBJ and RJ's stats for CBJ are way worse than if he played say on Semin line.

I am remebering the snarling RJU from the Filthy days and I am saying he is not only a fair trade for Flash but that deal takes away what we have in abundance in exchange for waht we need (grit).

Perron just scored with Kariya camped out in front. How many gallons in Kariya's tank?

As for Ott and appendectomy...I had one back in 98 and the doctor said six weeks and I was back at work the next week. OK, bent over some. Honestly, three weeks is plenty. They slice you and pull the muscle apart but it is way less severe than a knee operation. Three weeks I was playing volleyball so just give him a pill and get him back on the ice.

@CapsFan75: Yes, he has been a regular much longer than Flash. His third year in Philly was really crappy which is why they dumped him. I think we know exactly what Umberger is while we still see an upward arc with Flash. For pro athletes, their best statistical years are usually between 25 and 29 (although with improved conditioning guys maintain peak performance longer). Umberger only has 2 of those years left and, again, we know pretty much what his upside is. Flash has 4 of those years left and he's on the rise.

"I respect him as a person," Ovechkin said (of Crosby), "but when I step on the ice, I respect only my teammates."

Posted by: tess2201 | February 9, 2010 9:31 PM

Man, that's some good stuff. I'll be thinking of that line about six am tomorrow. Do any of you work for Boeing, Northrup Grumman or Raytheon? Sorry, folks, I might respect you all as people, but when I step into that office, I respect only my corporate mates.

@tominfl: I think the snarling is part of the Flyer persona. I'm not convinced that a guy like Umberger on the Caps is a snarler. He would be busy skating as hard as he can trying to keep up with Semin. I know there is sentiment that we need some grit, but I don't know if BB really allows the kind of crap that passes for grit on Philly.

OK, folks, here's a thought experiment for you. Nick Lidstrom is 39 years old. Detroit is really old and possibly not really a threat for the Cup this year. If they offered you Lidstrom for Alzner, Neuvirth and #1, would you do it? What would you trade for Lidstrom at age 39?

Kariya scored? I was busy yakking away on the computer. First goal at home for the year?

Man, doesn't sound like much in the tank.

I just want the Caps to get more guys with no teeth. Dougie Gilmour didn't have teeth and boy was he tough. Bobby Hull didn't have teeth and he could really score. Bernie Nicholls had teeth but he could only score in the regular season.

Lidstrom for Alzner, Neuvirth and #1, would you do it? What would you trade for Lidstrom at age 39?

Posted by: ccCapsfan | February 9, 2010 9:51 PM

NFW. Over my dead body they'd make that trade. Not unless Jesus appears in my dream and guarantees it gives us the Chalice this year. Unless I have a vision of Jesus at center ice, handing the Cup to Ovi, do I give up that much for Lidstrom, whose tank is down to fumes.

@tominfl: I agree with you that it's too much. Still, Lidstrom is +21 on team that has 64 points. You seem to love Niedermayer (formerly one of my all-time favorite players) and he at age 36 is -17 with a team that has 63 points.

I hate change but I could see some possible movement with some of our d-guys but IMHO leave the top four lines alone. We finally have four consistent lines, the guys are all scoring at different times, and they have developed chemistry. And they have won fourteen games. I think these lines are working.

And I don't want to lose Alzner, Carlson, Varly, Neuvi, Holtby (and I consider Green and Schultz untouchable). I want eventually to see an Alzner/Carlson pairing like they had at Hershey and we still don't know which goalie will end up being the best and most suitable for this team.

My two cents--take it for what's it worth. But I really like the team as it is now, from Ovi down. It's been a thrilling ride thus far. (And I really hate change!).

@ tominfl yeah he is one of the many reasons why the Blues have the worst home record in the NHL for some reason they just can't score at home.

@ccCapsfan I am a Red Wings fan as well as a Caps fan so I have seen almost every Red Wings game this season. As a Caps fan I would not want to make that trade at all. Varly has had some injury problems so relying on him and Holtby (who may be great but has no NHL experience) is a little scary. Alzner could very easily be a top 4 D man as early as next season. Just the two of them is already too much for Lidstrom but then you add a number one pick way too much. As a Red Wings fan this is probably the only time I would ever want them to trade him. I think a better trade would be Fehr, Poti, and Anton Gustafsson. Poti would replace Lidstrom on the point in Detroit while not being as good he would be a solid addition to the team. The other two would add to the youth forward movement that the Red Wings have been trying to do this year since they are not scoing many goals and are playing guys like May and Drew Miller. I also think with all of the Sweeds on the team Anton Gustafsson would be much more likely to come over to the NHL and be successful which he doesn't seem to be doing with the Caps.

I don't think either Nieds or Lidstrom will be available, they will probably stay with their current teams... the ducks and the wings will probably pass the preds and the flames in standings before the season ends and make the playoffs

of course you could get them but would have to give up quite a bit and I can't see GMGM making such a bold move

ccCapsFan: No, I don't love Niedermayer, I just think, like Lidstrom, he is better than some we have. And he still has toughness.

I wouldn't give up Alzner, Neuvy and a #1 for either, although maybe after a few more tequilas and OJ (and that after a bottle of wine) I'd give up all three for BOTH players (and then only with the above guarantee from that robed individual Who could turn water into even MORE wine).

capsyoungguns: You can stop if you want, typing out Alzner, Carlson, Neuvy, Varly and Holtby. I have coined a phraise for them, collectively, that you can use: Fab Five; as in, "Caps shouldn't trade any of the Fab Five."

Sometimes it just seems that I am so full of...well...something, you know?

Yes, teeth are vastly overrated, at least on hockey players and, well, now we're getting to my bucket list, for when I'm in the old folks home, or maybe even sooner.

@ ccCapsfan for the kick question it looked to me like he was turning and the puck went off the skate. He didn't move his skate toward the net like you would to kick the puck in.

As for Howard, yes I am 100% sold on him. It is hard not to. He keeps the team in games when they are giving up 40 shots a game which Detroit has not done in a very long time. He is 9th in the NHL in GAA ahead of guys like Roberto Luongo and Henrik Lundqvist and 6th in SV% ahead of guys like Miikka Kiprusoff and the two he is ahead of in GAA. The only place he seems to struggle is in shootouts like he did tonight. As long as he doesn't face too many breakaway/shootouts he is a very solid goalie and is the only reason Detroit is still in the race in the West. And this is coming from a guy with a Chris Osgood poster in my dining room.

@icehammer97: Datsyuk was looking right at the pass, lifted his skate and angled it to direct the puck. But it was subtle enough that because it was the Wings it was a goal. I haven't seen much of Howard but he looked pretty solid tonight, although it took his friend Mr. Post to save him in the OT.

When you get a chance, read Mike Wise's column for tomorrow's Post (online now, on the main page) about the upcoming Olympic break and its possible impact on the Caps. I've never been so depressed after reading a sports article.....

@ccCapsfan The current rules allow for moving the skate to deflect it in as long as there is not a driect kicking motion toward the net.

As for Howard he did get some help from the post in OT but in regulation Mason got saved by a D's stick otherwise the puck goes in the empty net. Howard did however make that amazing save on the 2-1 in OT and has kept Detroit in games day in and day out when they are giving up 40 shots a game. In the last few games he held Nashville to 2 goals on 48 shots in a game the Wings had to win since they are directly batteling them in the standings. He also only let in one until the shootout against the Pens while making 46 saves.

Howard is carrying the team right now. Osgood hasn't won a game since December 12th. Since he became the number one goalie in late November he has been named ESPN's top performer for Detroit in 20 games. Also I don't see him having a Mason like fall off since he has had plenty of time to develop in Grand Rapids so he has faced adversity and will not start to crack like Mason has at the first sign of trouble.